Malware siphons data on new rocket from Japanese space agency

Solid-fuel rocket is intended for launching satellites and space probes.

Information on one of Japan's newest rockets was stolen from a desktop computer that was infected with malware, according to a published report that cited officials from the country's space agency.

The computer, located in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tsukuba Space Center northeast of Tokyo, was found to be collecting data and transmitting it to computers outside the agency, according to a story published Friday morning by the New York Times. The computer was disinfected after malware was found on it on November 21, and an investigation failed to find any other infected machines.

Some of the data siphoned out of the computer involved Epsilon, a solid-fuel rocket still under development, according to the post. It is ostensibly intended to launch satellite and space probes, although solid-fuel rockets of its size can also be used militarily for intercontinental ballistic missiles. Epsilon also has the ability to be remotely controlled by a personal computer. Its first launch is scheduled for about a year from now.

Over the past decade, incidents involving computer-based espionage have grown increasingly common. A variety of targets from around the world, including those in private industry, government agencies, and human rights organizations, have frequently been hit, with evidence often implicating actors linked to the Chinese government. Highly sophisticated malware dubbed Flame, which reportedly was jointly developed by the US and Israeli governments, has also been used to spy on Iran.